1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates, generally, to devices and methods that help people stop snoring during sleep. More specifically, it relates to devices and methods that inhibit vibration of the soft pallet as air flows past it.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is known that certain surgical techniques can eliminate the cause of snoring in some people. However, surgery is a rather drastic, expensive remedy that is not without risk.
A well-known anti-snoring treatment available over-the-counter is an oil solution that is sprayed onto the back of the mouth. The oil mixture includes olive oil, sunflower oil, almond oil, peppermint oil, and the like. Oil soluble vitamins such as Vitamin E may also be provided in the solution. The oil apparently lubricates the soft pallet at the back of the mouth and perhaps the tongue as well and such lubrication solves the problem for some people. However, some people report unsatisfactory results with such oils.
Some people snore because they are overweight. In an effort to lose weight, they lower their intake of high fat foods. Accordingly, the addition of approximately one teaspoon a day of high fat oil is undesirable.
Mechanical devices that suppress the tongue are also commercially available. These devices are about the size of a mouthpiece of the type worn by athletes engaged in contact sports. Many people find it difficult to sleep at night with such a device in their mouth. However, most of those who persist until they get used to the device are satisfied with the results.
What is needed, then, are non-surgical alternatives to oil-based and mouthpiece-reliant remedies. The alternative remedies should not require the user to ingest high fat oils or to get used to sleeping with a bulky mechanical structure in the mouth. Moreover, the alternative treatments should be effective, inexpensive and easy to use.
However, in view of the prior art taken as a whole at the time the present invention was made, it was not obvious to those of ordinary skill in this art how the needed devices and methods could be provided.
The long-standing but heretofore unfulfilled need for non-surgical alternative snoring-suppressing devices and methods that do not rely upon oils and mouthpieces is now met by a new, useful, and nonobvious invention that is provided in five embodiments. Some of the five embodiments may be used with one another, i.e., the embodiments are not necessarily mutually exclusive although some of them are best used alone and not in conjunction with other devices and methods.
In a first embodiment, the soft pallet is made more rigid by the application thereto of a suitable adhesive. The increased rigidity inhibits fluttering of the soft pallet as the user breathes.
In a second embodiment, the soft pallet is made more rigid by application of an astringent or muscle-contracting drug delivered by a transdermal patch.
In a third embodiment, the astringent or muscle-contracting drug is provided in a powder form and xe2x80x9csnortedxe2x80x9d by the user so that it overlies the soft pallet.
In a fourth embodiment, the astringent or muscle-contracting drug is applied to the soft pallet by an atomized nasal spray.
In a fifth embodiment, a thin electrical device includes two conductors that extend or project outwardly from the transdermal patch. The electrical device is glued onto the hard pallet in such a way that the conductors extend into contacting relation with and rest against the soft pallet. The electrical device includes a low power DC source that generates a safe muscle-contracting current between the conductors to contract the soft pallet and thereby inhibit snoring.
A soft plastic device fits over the upper teeth and a web part thereof covers the roof of the mouth and retains the electrical device in sandwiched relation between the hard pallet and the web part. Moreover, the electrical device may be permanently affixed to the top of the webbing and the soft plastic device may be affixed to the hard pallet and teeth with a commercially available denture adhesive.
The primary object of this invention is to significantly advance the art of anti-snoring devices and methods.
A more specific object is to provide a method where snoring is inhibited by various means that are applied to the soft pallet and which prevent said soft pallet from vibrating when air passes thereover.
Another important object is to provide a method that harnesses the ability of very low electrical currents to contract the soft pallet so that it does not vibrate when air passes over it.
The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction, combination of elements, and arrangement of parts that will be exemplified in the description set forth hereinafter, and the scope of the invention will be set forth in the claims.